The Halloween That Jack Built
by Hobsonfan
Summary: Laura puts aside her frightful Halloween memories as she, Robbie, and the gang wear costumes to help Jack with a good cause.


On Halloween Robbie and Laura usually spent the night in a quiet country hotel away from Oxford and any painful reminders of a dark night. This year two youthful spirits, one earthly and one otherworldly, changed their plans.

* * *

"Laura, why do I have to be in the back?"

"Because I'm the brains of this operation." She had to remind him again. "It's in a good cause Robbie." She pulled him along as they tried out their 2 person Halloween costume. "And we don't want to disappoint our Jack. He is very excited about the party." She heard footsteps on the stairs. "Shh, he's coming."

Young Jack was spending the weekend with Robbie and Laura in order to attend a Halloween fancy dress party raising money for cancer research. He had recently lost a close mate from school to leukemia. Laura suggested they participate in the event in his honor and Jack was eager to go. Robbie and Laura both sold tickets at work and to friends. Jack was very pleased at the amount of money they raised.

Preparing for the party also lifted his spirits. Prizes were to be awarded and Jack was determined to win in the children's category of best detective. Laura helped him with his costume and after putting on some finishing touches upstairs in the bathroom, he wanted his grandfather's opinion.

Robbie, happy to be freed from their costume before they keeled over, smiled as he watched the boy enter, perfectly imitating the walk of the short, Belgian detective.

"How did you make Jack's head egg shaped?"

Laura and Jack shared a smile. "Oh, just a little plastic surgery."

"It's quite good, and the mustache is spot on."

Jack was beaming at the praise. "Do you think I'll win a prize?"

"If you don't it will be because the judges need glasses." Oxford was experiencing a shortage of optometrists due to the unusually high number of them serving prison sentences for murder.

"Well, mum says the most important thing is the money we raised for a good cause." With a pained expression he went and stood in front of Robbie. "Grandad is it okay to want to win a prize and raise money?"

Robbie put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Sure it is lad, boys should have fun, your mate would want you to."

Jack's face brightened. "We sure had fun the day you arranged for him to be a good cop and arrest a bad guy." He took a small photo out of his detective's jacket pocket that showed a frail but grinning boy wearing a superhero cape who was arresting a very tall and blonde bad guy.

* * *

Later that night after Jack was tucked up in the spare room with Monty sharing his pillow and Osborn covering his feet, Laura watched Robbie as he undressed for bed.

"You had us all excited!"

He grinned at her. "You still think I'm the most attractive DI you have ever worked with?"

"However irresistible you are Robbie, something else has me excited."

He looked a question at her with his eyebrows.

"It's James. You said he bought two tickets, perhaps he has found a partner."

"Doubt it, he will probably have no takers as usual, I'm sorry to say." He got into bed . "Now can we get back to me being irresistible?" He spoke quietly into her ear. "You better not get too excited or the dog will bark and wake Jack."

She lightly pushed him away. "The dog barks even louder at your post excitement snoring so you better stay on your own side."

"Perhaps a few treats will convince Osborn to sleep downstairs tonight."

* * *

The next morning Robbie bounced down the stairs and turned towards the kitchen to find Laura and Jack doing a fry up. They were so involved in their shared task and chatting excitedly, the sound of his not so cheap shoes (now that Laura was helping him shop) went unnoticed. He stood and watched the pair of them and heard Laura answering Jack's endless questions about his new specialist subject, corpses. While very happy that Jack and Laura got on so well, Robbie was a bit wistful about his own relationship with the boy. Unlike Laura, Robbie was not well versed in the latest technology and always had to let Laura select the boy's Christmas gifts and plan the activities when he came to visit. He had hoped the canoe would be something they could share but the boy was not good at swimming.

Laura had booked the day off to stay home with Jack so after sending Robbie off to work with a full stomach she put the finishing touches on their costumes. She glanced through the window at the boy running around the garden with the dog, reached down to pet the cat and said, "Monty, I am a lucky girl." Jack did not eat much lunch and Laura attributed it to the large breakfast and his excitement about the party that night. Robbie would have noticed that something was troubling the boy.

Just hours before the party, Jack went to Laura with a request to change his costume. His choice of detective was troubling him. Once he explained what he wanted instead of the famous Belgian she heartily agreed to help him. After undoing the plastic surgery so Jack's head took on its normal shape and adding some clothing and a few props, Jack was transformed into another detective. They were both happy with the results.

* * *

When they arrived at the party, Robbie and James met them at the door as arranged. Laura gave James a once over and asked, "Did you lose a bet?"

"Very funny, not" James smirked at Robbie. "At least I'm not the back end of a-"

"Hey, I am doing it for love. What's your excuse clever clogs?"

"Actually, I did lose a bet."

Normally Laura would sling a few more arrows at James but with young Jack and his keen ears, she quickly redirected the banter. "James, did you find someone to use your other ticket?"

He glared at Robbie. "Of course. I know how to live."

Jack stayed with James while Laura and Robbie delivered something to the judges table and went back out to the car park to get themselves into their costume. Upon reentering the party they attracted a lot of attention and the other guests had to keep getting out of their way. Laura, being in front, was in the driver's seat and Robbie had no choice but to follow along.

They brought Jack over to the games for the children and he excitedly bobbed for apples, played pin the smile on the ghoul, and ran in the skeleton relay, correctly naming each bone for extra credit. While they waited Laura did an entertainment show style review for Robbie of costumes worn by people she thought she recognized.

The first one she noticed was a grizzly bear in a red, pink, black, and white kilt. Following close behind it was the Invisible Man and in pursuit of them was a red suited Canadian Mountie. The costume did not do the Royal Canadian Mounted Police justice. He looked more like Dudley Do-Right mounted backwards on his horse.

Laura told Robbie the Queen of Hearts was an apt costume for one of their friends although Robbie remarked, "funny costume for someone whose best friend said she was all head and no heart."

The bright orange carrot costume stuck out vividly in the crowd. It reminded Laura of an episode of a children's program that Jack's sister Susan liked to watch. The carrot was joined by a nun dressed in the now rarely seen full habit including tunic, scapular, apron, coif, and veil. They carrot and the nun soon started having a row and parted ways. A procession of adults in farm animal costumes were posing for a group photo. Laura recognized the second cow on the left.

Meanwhile Jack had filled a bag with candy from the spooky pinata and was now sitting down to play Batty Bingo with the other children.

Robbie reminded Laura he had something to do before the prize giving and they made their way over the judges table to explain about the item they left earlier and then hurried back to Jack before the games were over.

"C'mon Robbie, it's almost time for the prize giving", she tugged him along to collect Jack.

Robbie had a surprise for his grandson. After several prizes were awarded to costumed children, a final, special category was announced, "Best Superhero". A judge unveiled a large portrait of a frail boy wearing a cape who was arresting a troublesome priest. Jack's eyes widened in astonishment at the award for his friend. Laura whispered something in his ear.

Jack hugged Robbie's legs as the rest of him was difficult to reach. "Thanks Granad, Lozza (Jack's nickname for Laura) said this was your idea. You really made me happy."

"It was well deserved. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes and this lad earned high marks in my book."

Jack was a bit puzzled about something. "Did you write a book?"

"Never mind lad. I just hope you are not disappointed you did not win for best detective."

"It's okay, the girl that won is lovely." Jack stared with adoration at the blue ribbon winning girl with a black cap of straight hair and gray green eyes who moments earlier had sashayed across the stage wearing a glamorous gown.

Laura noticed Jack's infatuation and mused, "Our Jack may find a partner before James."

As Jack continued to gaze at the girl down under the lights of the winner's circle of children, Robbie quietly asked Laura, "Who is Jack supposed to be anyway? I still don't know who he is in this new costume."

Laura laughed quietly. "Can't you recognize him Robbie, a detective with an out of date suit, watch worn on the inside of the wrist, cheap shoes, a pen in his hand and driving a boring cardboard car? He didn't play the sound effects for you, that would have given it away surely." She pushed a button on her iPod and snoring could be heard. "It's you, Robbie, you are his favorite detective and hero, and mine too I might add." She blew him a kiss.

Jack heard them talking and tore himself away from his soon to be first love. "That's right Grandad."

"Aw thanks lad, I'm just sorry you did not win a prize."

"I had such fun at the party. Can we do this again?"

"Sure we can", Robbie and Laura answered in unison.

Jack jumped for joy. "Next year I want to be a pathologicalist!"

Robbie started to chuckle then had a sinking feeling the term might evoke a painful memory for Laura and reached his hand out to find the small of her back.

His hunch was correct and the innocent twisting of the word pathologist did send a chill up Laura's spine which was instantly warmed when she felt Robbie's touch.

They moved on to watch the prize giving for adult costumes. While none of their friends or coworkers won a top prize, several got honorable mentions:

Dr. Angus Rawbone as The Aberdeen Grizzly Bear

Mr. Innocent as The Invisible Man

Action Man Alan Peterson as The Canadian Mountie

Lizzie Maddox as The Second Cow on the Left

Jean Innocent as The Queen of Hearts

Nell Hathaway as The Argumentative Nun

and James Hathaway as The Carrot

James protested loudly when he was announced, "I'm a pumpkin." He glared at sister Nell to whom he had lost the bet.

First prize for a couples costume went to Inspector Robbie Lewis, clad in a very loud exploring shirt and slinky eyeball glasses, and Dr. Laura Hobson, dressed in a simple Native American dress, as Lewis and Sacajawea...wearing the canoe.

* * *

Shortly after Robbie went back to work Laura cut two large holes in the canoe and used it as a planter in her garden. The holes were just big enough for them to wriggle in and wear to the Halloween Party.

* * *

 **A/N: Credit for the Lewis and Sacajawea idea in the canoe to Muffinzelda for her wonderful story, Lewis and Clark.**

 **Sorry for bothering all of you kind readers again so soon. I had not meant to post anything until Christmas. This story popped into my head while my granddaughter and I were planning our outfits for a Halloween themed yoga class. Only for her would I wear skeleton leggings in public.**

 **Happy Halloween! -H**


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